Last updated: 9 November 2026
- Hard skills vs soft skills
- 120+ skills by role, in tables
- Soft skills recruiters ask about most
- How to prove each skill in a bullet
- ATS keyword matching: a worked example
- Skills section samples: fresher, IT, non-IT
- Mistakes to avoid
- Most recruiters read a resume for under 10 seconds on the first pass, so skills must be easy to spot.
- Many Indian companies screen resumes with an applicant tracking system (ATS) that matches keywords from the job description.
- LinkedIn lets you add up to 100 skills to your profile; your resume should carry only the 8–12 that fit the job.
- Employers in NACE's Job Outlook surveys regularly rank problem-solving, teamwork and communication among the attributes they look for most.
Sources: Recruiter eye-tracking studies (Ladders); LinkedIn Help; NACE Job Outlook surveys.
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| Hard skills | Soft skills | |
|---|---|---|
| What they are | Teachable, testable abilities | How you work with people and problems |
| Examples | SQL, Tally, Google Ads, AutoCAD | Communication, ownership, negotiation |
| How they're checked | Tests, assignments, certificates | Interview stories, references |
| Where to show them | Skills section + bullets | Inside bullets, as results |
| ATS weight | High; usually exact keywords | Lower; rarely filtered on |
Hard skills get you through the filter. Soft skills get you through the interview. Your skills section should be mostly hard skills; let your bullets show the soft ones.
120+ skills by role
Only list skills you can discuss for five minutes in an interview. Pick the ones that appear in the job description first.
| Role | Hard skills | Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Software developer | Java, Python, JavaScript, data structures, REST APIs, SQL, system design, unit testing | Git, Docker, Jira, AWS, VS Code |
| Frontend developer | React, TypeScript, HTML/CSS, responsive design, accessibility, performance tuning | Next.js, Figma, Webpack |
| Data analyst | SQL, Excel, statistics, data cleaning, dashboarding, A/B testing | Power BI, Tableau, Python (pandas), Google Sheets |
| Data scientist / ML | Machine learning, NLP, feature engineering, model evaluation, LLM prompting | scikit-learn, PyTorch, Jupyter |
| QA / testing | Manual testing, test cases, automation, API testing, regression testing | Selenium, Postman, JMeter |
| DevOps / cloud | CI/CD, Linux, networking basics, infrastructure as code, monitoring | Kubernetes, Terraform, Jenkins, Grafana |
| Sales | Lead generation, cold calling, negotiation, territory planning, key account management, forecasting | Salesforce, Zoho CRM, LinkedIn Sales Navigator |
| Digital marketing | SEO, SEM, performance marketing, content strategy, email marketing, analytics | Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, GA4, Canva |
| Accounts / finance | GST, TDS, bank reconciliation, MIS reporting, budgeting, financial modelling | Tally Prime, SAP FICO, Excel (pivots, XLOOKUP) |
| HR / recruiting | Sourcing, screening, onboarding, payroll basics, labour law basics, employee engagement | Naukri RMS, LinkedIn Recruiter, Darwinbox, Keka |
| Operations / supply chain | Inventory management, vendor management, process improvement, demand planning, SOPs | SAP MM, WMS, Excel |
| Customer support | Complaint handling, ticket resolution, typing (40+ WPM), product knowledge, escalation | Freshdesk, Zendesk |
| Design (UI/UX) | User research, wireframing, prototyping, design systems, usability testing | Figma, Adobe XD, Illustrator |
| Project management | Agile, Scrum, stakeholder management, risk tracking, budgeting | Jira, Asana, MS Project |
Soft skills recruiters ask about most
| Soft skill | What it looks like at work | Interview question it answers |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | Clear emails, short updates, explaining to non-experts | "Explain your project to me simply." |
| Problem-solving | Finding the cause, not just the symptom | "Tell me about a tough problem." |
| Ownership | Finishing things without being chased | "Describe something you drove end to end." |
| Teamwork | Helping others hit their goals | "Tell me about a team conflict." |
| Adaptability | Learning a new tool or process fast | "How do you handle change?" |
| Time management | Meeting deadlines across several tasks | "How do you prioritise?" |
| Leadership | Guiding people without a title | "When did you lead others?" |
| Attention to detail | Few errors, careful checks | "How do you avoid mistakes?" |
| Customer focus | Solving the real need behind a request | "Tell me about a difficult customer." |
| Negotiation | Reaching deals both sides accept | "Describe a negotiation you won." |
Others worth knowing: critical thinking, creativity, empathy, conflict resolution, decision-making, presentation, mentoring, resilience, active listening and cross-functional collaboration.
How to prove each skill in a bullet
Use this pattern: action verb + what you did with the skill + result with a number. One bullet can prove a hard skill and a soft skill together.
| Skill | Weak | Strong bullet |
|---|---|---|
| SQL | Good knowledge of SQL | Wrote SQL queries that cut the weekly sales report from 3 hours to 20 minutes |
| Excel | Proficient in MS Excel | Built an Excel tracker with XLOOKUP for 400 SKUs; stock-outs fell 15% |
| Python | Knows Python | Automated invoice matching in Python, saving the finance team 12 hours a month |
| React | Worked on React | Rebuilt the checkout page in React; load time dropped from 4.1s to 1.8s |
| Negotiation | Strong negotiator | Negotiated a 9% lower freight rate with 3 vendors, saving ₹6.5 lakh a year |
| Communication | Excellent communication skills | Ran weekly client calls for 5 accounts; renewal rate stayed at 100% |
| Leadership | Leadership qualities | Led a team of 6 interns to ship a campus app used by 1,200 students |
| Tally / GST | Tally and GST | Filed monthly GST returns for 15 clients with zero late fees in 2025 |
| SEO | SEO knowledge | Grew organic traffic from 8,000 to 31,000 monthly visits in 9 months |
| Customer support | Customer handling | Handled 60+ tickets a day with a 4.7/5 CSAT score |
| Recruiting | Hiring experience | Closed 42 tech roles in 2025 with a 27-day average time-to-hire |
| Problem-solving | Good problem solver | Traced repeat payment failures to a timeout bug; failed orders fell 30% |
No work experience yet? Projects, internships, college fests, freelance gigs and certifications all count as proof. A certificate from AWS, Google, Microsoft, NISM or the ICAI backs a hard skill; a project with real users backs both hard and soft skills. Put the proof in the same line as the skill wherever you can.
ATS keyword matching: a worked example
Here's a real-style job description and how to match it, step by step.
The job description (shortened)
Job: Data Analyst, fintech, Bengaluru, 2–4 years Required: SQL, Python, Power BI, A/B testing, stakeholder management Nice to have: Looker, credit risk, statistics
| JD keyword | In your resume before? | What you change |
|---|---|---|
| SQL | Yes | Keep; add it to a bullet with a result |
| Python | Written as "pandas" | Write "Python (pandas)" so both terms match |
| Power BI | No, you wrote "dashboards" | Add "Power BI" if you used it; name the tool |
| A/B testing | Written as "experiments" | Use the exact phrase "A/B testing" |
| Stakeholder management | Missing | Show it in a bullet: "presented weekly to risk and product heads" |
| Statistics | Missing | Add if true, e.g. hypothesis testing |
Result
Before: 3 of 8 keywords matched (38%) After: 7 of 8 keywords matched (88%) Not added: Looker (never used it, so left out honestly)
Matching keywords is about using the same words for skills you really have, not stuffing in skills you don't. Read more in our guide to ATS resumes.
Skills section samples
Fresher (B.Tech)
SKILLS Technical: Java, Python, SQL (MySQL), Data Structures, REST APIs Tools: Git, GitHub, VS Code, Postman Soft skills: Team projects, presenting, quick learner (2 certifications in 6 months) Languages: English, Hindi, Marathi
Fresher (non-tech, B.Com / BA)
SKILLS Communication: English and Hindi (fluent), Tamil (conversational) Computer: MS Excel (VLOOKUP, pivot tables), MS Word, Google Sheets, typing 45 WPM Work skills: Customer handling, data entry, record keeping, cash handling
IT professional (4 years, backend)
TECHNICAL SKILLS Languages: Java 17, Python, TypeScript Backend: Spring Boot, REST, Kafka, PostgreSQL, Redis Cloud and DevOps: AWS (EC2, S3, Lambda), Docker, Kubernetes, GitHub Actions Practices: System design, unit testing (JUnit), code reviews, on-call
Non-IT professional (sales, 6 years)
CORE SKILLS Sales: B2B sales, key account management, negotiation, territory planning Tools: Salesforce, Excel, LinkedIn Sales Navigator Results focus: forecasting, pipeline reviews, team coaching
Transferable skills for career switchers
Switching fields? Lead with skills that carry over, then add the new hard skills you've learned through courses or projects.
| Moving from → to | Skills that transfer | New skills to add |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching → instructional design | Explaining concepts, lesson planning, assessment | Storyboarding, Articulate 360, LMS basics |
| Customer support → data analyst | Spotting patterns in complaints, Excel, reporting | SQL, Power BI, basic statistics |
| Sales → product management | Customer insight, negotiation, market feedback | User research, roadmapping, Jira |
| Accounts → FP&A | Reconciliation, MIS, attention to detail | Forecasting, financial modelling, Power Query |
| Mechanical engineering → software | Problem-solving, CAD logic, documentation | Python, data structures, Git |
| Army / defence → operations | Leadership, discipline, logistics, crisis handling | SAP, Excel, vendor management |
Write the transferable skill as a result from your old job ("cut repeat complaints 25% by tracking root causes in Excel"), then list the new tools with a project that proves you can use them.
Where to put skills on your resume
| Your profile | Where the skills section goes |
|---|---|
| Fresher | Right after the summary, before projects |
| Tech roles | Near the top, grouped by category |
| Experienced non-tech | After experience; let bullets lead |
| Career switcher | Near the top, with transferable skills first |
Mistakes to avoid
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| 30 skills in a long list | Keep 8–12, matched to the job |
| Skill bars and star ratings | Remove them; ATS can't read them and "4/5 Python" means nothing |
| "MS Office, Internet" | Name specific skills: pivot tables, mail merge |
| Listing skills you can't explain | Interviewers will ask; remove them |
| Only soft skills | Add the tools and methods from the JD |
| Same skills for every job | Re-order and re-word for each application |
Want recruiters to find you too? Add the same skills to LinkedIn using our guide to building a LinkedIn profile.
FAQs
What skills should I put on my resume?
8–12 skills taken from the job description: mostly hard skills and tools, plus two or three soft skills that you prove in your bullets.
How many skills should a resume have?
8–12 is a good range. Tech resumes can go up to 15 if grouped by category.
What are the top soft skills for a resume?
Communication, problem-solving, ownership, teamwork, adaptability, time management and leadership.
What skills should a fresher put on a resume?
Technical skills from your degree and projects, tools you've used, languages you speak, and soft skills proven through college projects or internships.
Should I rate my skills on my resume?
No. Bars and stars aren't read by ATS and don't tell the recruiter much. Show proof in bullets instead.
Where should skills go on a resume?
Near the top for freshers and tech roles; after experience for senior non-tech roles.
How do I match my skills to a job description?
List the skills in the JD, find the ones you have, and use the same words in your skills section and bullets.
Are soft skills important for a resume?
Yes, but show them through results in your bullets rather than listing words like "hardworking".
Can I add skills I am still learning?
Yes, if labelled honestly, for example "Learning: Kubernetes (course in progress)".
What skills are in demand in India in 2026?
Cloud, data analysis, AI and ML, cybersecurity, full-stack development, digital marketing and sales roles that use CRM tools are all in steady demand.
